Armor-plating



(No Model.)

M. F. COOMES 8: A. W. HYDE.

- ARMOR PLATING. 5 No. 457,525. Patented Aug. 11,1891.

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T 1: 1, 60 221 w vtwaooao I i a c5 46 MA UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN FRANCIS COOMES AND ARUNAH WVATERMAN HYDE, OF LOUISVILLE,

KENTUCKY.

ARMOR-PLATING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,525, dated August11, 1891. Application filed September 20, 1890; Serial No. 365,618. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MARTIN FRANCIS CooMEs and ARUNAH WATERMAN HYDE,citizens of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Armor-Plating for Ships and Batteries; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de- [0 scription ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to armor for ships and batteries; andit consistsin a novelmethod of applying and securing the plating.

Figure 1 is a plan or face view of a portion of our improved armor. Fig.2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of one of the outer blocks of the armor-plate. Fig. ais a top view of the block or cube shown in Fig. 3.

In the figures, A is the outer plate or cube of hard steel, D is abacking or inner plate of softer steel, and O is a rubber pillow orpacking interposed between A and D. The cube A has a rounded face (Z,and at each corner a quadrantal cut-away portion 0 for the reception ofthe screw-bolt B, a countersunk recess a for the bolt-head, and ashoulder 12, against which the bolt-head rests. The inner plates of softsteel are of ordinary dimensions, but the outer plates or blocks of hardsteel are comparatively much smaller, and by reason of the small sizeand rounded faces of the 3 5 outer plates the damage resulting from theimpact of a projectile is reduced to a minimum. The bolt-heads aresecured from such damage by countersinking them, and by the method ofapplying them each block is held by four bolts and each bolt holds fourblocks of the outer plating. The form which is thus presented we prefer,but it may obviously be variously modified without departing from theprinciple of our invention. For example, the face of the blocks of theouter plating may be conical or angular, and their shape may betriangular or octagonal. The bolts may be square, and they may onlypartially penetrate the softer steel backing, and the rubber cushionbetween the inner and outer 5o plating may be omitted. In the last case,our invention presents the exterior surface of hard steel and theinterior surface of soft steel, which at present is widely regarded as adesideratum in armor-platin g.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, is-

1. An armor-plating for vessels, consisting of an inner plating of softsteel, an outer 6o plating of smaller blocks of hard steel, and a rubberpacking between the inner and outer plating, all suitably fastenedtogether, substantially as described.

2. In armor-plating for vessels, the combination of the inner plating ofsoft steel, the outer plating of hard steel, and the connect ing-boltsat the corners of each outer plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowithesses.

MARTIN FRANCIS COOMES. ARUNAII \VATERMAN HYDE. IVitnesses:

CHAS. W. PARSONS, N. BERNSTEIN.

